Bitch Media - abortion rightshttp://bitchmagazine.org/taxonomy/term/6107/0
enOn Our Radar: Feminist News Rounduphttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-feminist-news-roundup-166
<p dir="ltr"><em>Here's all the news that's on my radar today:</em></p>
<p dir="ltr">•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chelsea-manning/a-statement-on-my-legal-name-change_b_5199874.html" target="_blank">Chelsea Manning was granted approval by a judge this week to legally change her name</a>. In an open letter about her experience Manning said, “Hopefully today's name change, while so meaningful to me personally, can also raise awareness of the fact that we trans* people exist everywhere in America today, and that we must jump through hurdles every day just for being who we are. [Huffington Post]</p>
<p dir="ltr">• This week Mississippi joined Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas in passing&nbsp;<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/24/us-usa-abortion-mississippi-idUSBREA3N0LN20140424" target="_blank">20 week abortion bans</a>. Governor Phil Bryant said about the ban, which takes effect in July, “Today is an important day for protecting the unborn and the health and safety of women in Mississippi." Ugh. [Reuters]</p>
<p>• At&nbsp;<a href="http://jezebel.com/23-students-file-complaint-against-columbia-for-mishand-1567215473">Columbia University this week,&nbsp;</a><a href="http://jezebel.com/23-students-file-complaint-against-columbia-for-mishand-1567215473" target="_blank">23 students filed a complaint about</a><a href="http://jezebel.com/23-students-file-complaint-against-columbia-for-mishand-1567215473">&nbsp;alleged mishandling of sexual assaults</a>. The student group points to numerous violations ncluding "administrators discouraging survivors from formally reporting, LGBTQ students facing discrimination in counseling, serial offenders remaining on campus, inadequate disciplinary sanctions, and discrimination against survivors." [Jezebel]</p>
<p>• In yet another disturbing story about sexual assault on college campuses,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/04/24/brown_university_lets_rapist_who_choked_his_victim_reenroll_after_a_semester_long_suspension/" target="_blank">Brown University is letting a student found responsible for sexual assault back on campus after a one-semester suspension</a>. The assault victim spoke out against the school saying, “I did not do anything wrong, and yet I’m the one who’s going to take time off or transfer.” School officials say the punishment was “reasonably consistent with precedent in similar cases.” [Salon]</p>
<p dir="ltr">• In more collegiate news,&nbsp;a group of graduate student workers in the University of California system have made a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/inside_higher_ed/2014/04/gender_neutral_restrooms_lactation_stations_university_of_california_graduate.html" target="_blank">huge advance in their fight for gender neutral restrooms and lactation stations</a>&nbsp;on campus. The group has reached a tentative contract agreement that calls access to such facilities a “right.” If the contract is completed it would mean that students, faculty members, and employees on all UC campuses would be required access to these facilities. [Slate]</p>
<p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/04/24/leslie_jamison_and_roxane_gay_men_are_crowned_as_the_gold_standard_of_the_genre_it%E2%80%99s_gonna_change/" target="_blank">Writers Leslie Jamison and Roxane Gay have deemed this a “new golden age of female essayists”</a>&nbsp;in an interview with Salon. [Salon]<br /><br />•&nbsp;Gabi Ury, a 16-year-old from Colorado,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.refinery29.com/2014/04/66820/gabi-ury-plank-record" target="_blank">has been training for years to break the world record for holding a plank position</a>. This week she succeeded and now holds the Guinness World Record for longest plank held by a female, 80 minutes. Congrats on reaching your goal Gabi! [Refinery 29]</p>
<p><img src="http://bitchmagazine.org/sites/default/files/u67815/sjl87pg1efwpry0tiz8u.jpg" alt="" width="636" height="358" /></p>
<p><em>What did I miss? Add what you're reading to the comments.</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-feminist-news-roundup-166#commentsabortion rightsathleticscampus lifeChelsea Manningpoliticsrestroomssexual assaulttransgenderNewsFri, 25 Apr 2014 17:04:26 +0000Erica Thomas25780 at http://bitchmagazine.orgOn Our Radar: Feminist News Rounduphttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-feminist-news-roundup-134
<p><em>Here's the news on my radar today</em></p>
<p>• The <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/03/06/joseph_morse_the_army_s_top_sexual_assault_lawyer_accused_of_sexual_assault.html" target="_blank">top Army prosecutor for sexual assault cases</a>&nbsp;has been suspended after a lawyer who worked for him reported him for sexual assault. Meanwhile, the <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/06/286886468/senate-blocks-bill-to-overhaul-military-sex-assault-prosecutions" target="_self">Senate blocked a bill</a> that would have removed sexual assault reporting from the&nbsp;military's chain of command.&nbsp;[Slate, NPR].</p>
<p>• For decades, a group of men with disabilities <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/03/09/us/the-boys-in-the-bunkhouse.html" target="_blank">lived in a bunkhouse in Atalissa, Iowa and were paid just $65 a month</a> to work full-time in a turkey processing plant. The case shows how laws that allow for employing people with disabilities in "sheltered workshops" can be abused. [New York Times] &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p>• <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/06/us/massachusetts-upskirt-ban/index.html?eref=rss_topstories" target="_blank">Massachusets quickly passed a ban on "upskirt" photos</a>&nbsp;after the state's highest court ruled that an existing law criminalizing "voyeurism" did not actually ban snapping photos up a stranger's skirt. [CNN]&nbsp;</p>
<p>• Two members of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/06/pussy-riot-members-attacked-green-paint-rubbish" target="_blank">Pussy Riot were attacked</a>&nbsp;by a group of men while eating breakfast at a McDonalds. Video was captured of the men shooting paint into thier faces while they shouted "Go to America!" [Guardian]&nbsp;</p>
<p>• One writer lists five things they heard <a href="http://www.autostraddle.com/top-five-things-i-heard-when-i-started-presenting-as-butch-226721/" target="_blank">when they started presenting as butch</a>. [Autostraddle]&nbsp;</p>
<p>• I love this&nbsp;<a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/03/07/portlandias_carrie_brownstein_i_want_to_poke_and_prod_and_prick_people/" target="_blank">interview with Carrie Brownstein</a>.&nbsp;The <em>Portlandia</em> and Sleater-Kinney star talks about how she wants to "poke and prod and prick" with comedy. [Salon]&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Did I miss something? Tell us about it in the comments.</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-feminist-news-roundup-134#commentsabortion rightsCarrie BrownsteinPussy Riotsexual assaultUS military womenNewsMon, 10 Mar 2014 15:00:10 +0000Erica Thomas25364 at http://bitchmagazine.orgDouchebag Decree: Clear Channelhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/douchebag-decree-clear-channel-south-wind-clinic-kansas-ads
<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3008635758_a8c6604670.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Clear Channel is a behemoth—the media conglomerate owns 850 radio stations, making them the gatekeeper of mainstream radio airwaves across much of the country. And this week, the company is being a total douchebag.</p>
<p>The crime? Refusing to run ads for the <a href="http://www.southwindwomenscenter.org/" target="_blank">South Wind Women's Center</a>, a full-spectrum reproductive healthcare clinic in Witchita, Kansas that opened this year in the space that <a href="http://jezebel.com/5993364/dr-tillers-former-wichita-abortion-clinic-is-finally-back-in-business" target="_blank">was Doctor George Tiller's clinic</a> before he was murdered. Clear Channel says the Kansas clinic's ads violate the company's "decency standards."</p>
<p>Here's the transcript of the "indecent" ad:</p>
<blockquote><p class="Body">"South Wind Women's Center was founded to reestablish access to full-spectrum reproductive healthcare. The center provides high-quality medical care and trusts women to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. &nbsp;South Wind Women's Center: Entrusting women with their own medical decision-making."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If Clear Channel is trying to defend mainstream American values by pulling these ads, the company should note that that <a href="/post/support-for-abortion-rights-is-a-mainstream-value">most people in America favor a woman's right to a legal abortion</a> if she should choose to have one. Apparently, the people who run Clear Channel aren't a part of that group—like, really <em>really</em>&nbsp;aren't, considering that neither of the ads they banned even used the word "abortion."</p>
<p>Is this douchey? Yes. Shocking? Not really, unfortunately. Clear Channel has a long history of douchiness, including in 2004, when they refused to admit to a conservative bias despite <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2004-03-23-clear_x.htm">giving a campaign contribution of $42,200 to George W. Bush.</a>&nbsp;In more recent history, there's also the fact that Bain Capital (Mitt Romney's ex-company) <a href="http://www.theliberaloc.com/2012/06/21/conservative-media-bias-bain-capital-holds-huge-stakes-clearchannel/">holds a major financial stake in Clear Channel.</a></p>
<p>As if this isn't enough for the douchebag label, they're also the parent company of Premiere Radio Networks, the group that produces such charming programs as <em>The Rush Limbaugh Show</em>, <em>The Glenn Beck Program</em>, and <em>The Sean Hannity Show</em>. So, apparently, Limbaugh <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&amp;address=439x533809" target="_blank">calling N.O.W. a "bunch of whores"</a> is decent but legal reproductive care is not. I guess douchebags really don't mind when the people on their programs are total douchebags.</p>
<p>But this isn't just about ragging on a conservative company. This is about creating access to abortion.&nbsp; Women in Wichita need to know about the clinic to access its safe, legal services. Keeping the clinic from advertising keeps them from reaching women who might otherwise wind up at, say, a <a href="http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/cpc.html" target="_blank">crisis pregnancy center</a>.</p>
<p>The South Wind Women's Center has started <a href="http://www.womenactionmedia.org/events/changethechannel/">a petition to demand Clear Channel reinstate the ads</a>, encouraging listeners to threaten to "change the channel" if their demands aren't met. The clinic's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClearChannel">Facebook page is currently being bombed by negative comments and reviews.</a>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Following Senator Wendy Davis's astounding filibuster in Texas, national attention is finally being paid to all the tiny ways that conservatives have been working to control the debate around abortion and chip away at women's reproductive health care bit-by-bit. Hopefully Clear Channel will get with the message loud and clear.</p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/douchebag-decree-clear-channel-south-wind-clinic-kansas-ads#commentsabortion rightsadvertisingclear channelRadioreproductive rightsDouchebag Decree Thu, 25 Jul 2013 00:25:37 +0000Hanna White23588 at http://bitchmagazine.orgOn Our Radar: Feminist News Round Uphttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-feminist-news-round-up-0
<p><em>Here's all the news on our radar for today!&nbsp;<br /></em><br /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">•&nbsp;</span>We warned you about&nbsp;<a href="/post/dear-rick-perry%E2%80%94youre-a-jerk" target="_blank">Rick Perry's call for a second special session</a>&nbsp;on SB5. After about eight hours of testimony last night, the Texas House&nbsp;<a href="http://bit.ly/13qPt4J" target="_blank">voted to approve</a>&nbsp;these restrictive abortion regulations.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">•&nbsp;</span>NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia confirms that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=14448" target="_blank">Crisis Pregnancy Centers purposefully uses false medical information</a>&nbsp;to dissuade patients from seeking abortions. [Feminist Wire]<br /><br /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">•&nbsp;</span>Speaking of Crisis Pregnancy Centers, student&nbsp;<a href="http://feministcampus.org/blog/index.php/2013/07/01/my-experience-at-a-cpc-i-went-looking-for-a-free-pregnancy-test-and-got-more-than-i-expected/?fb_action_ids=10200624371265573&amp;fb_action_types=og.likes&amp;fb_source=aggregation&amp;fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582" target="_blank">Lucy Vernasco shares her upsetting experience</a>&nbsp;with one,&nbsp;highlighting why access to family planning is crucial. [Feminist Campus]&nbsp;<br /><br /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">• </span>A conservative blogger&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/07/02/the_real_wendy_davis_web_site_exposes_that_the_texas_state_senator_used.html" target="_blank">exposes Texas Senator Wendy Davis's natural hair color</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;thereby disproves feminism. [Slate]&nbsp;<br /><br /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">•&nbsp;</span>Remember when a UNM professor&nbsp;<a href="/post/academias-anti-fat-problem" target="_blank">fat-shamed PhD candidates on Twitter</a>&nbsp;and tried to pass it off as a research project?&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/fat-shaming-professor-geoffrey-miller_n_3509505.html" target="_blank">Looks like he'll keep his job</a>. [Huffington Post]<br /><br /><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">•&nbsp;</span>Artist Nickolay Lamm recreates Barbie using proportions based on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mydeals.com/blog/what-if-barbie-looked-like-a-real-woman/post" target="_blank">the CDC's measurements of the average 19-year-old American woman</a>. [My Deals]<br /><br /><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/9199095428_e054d8f072.jpg" alt="Original Barbie (left), Artist's recreation (right)" width="375" height="500" />&nbsp;<br /><br /><em style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Did we miss anything? Let us know what you're reading in the comments.</em></p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/on-our-radar-feminist-news-round-up-0#commentsabortion rightsBarbieCrisis Pregnancy Centersfat acceptancefat-shamingNARALrick perrywendy davisNewsWed, 03 Jul 2013 16:49:11 +0000Marinda Valenti23331 at http://bitchmagazine.orgWhy Texas Abortion-Restriction Laws are a National Problemhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/why-texas-abortion-restriction-laws-are-a-national-problem
<p>Today, <a href="http://www.texastribune.org/capitol-instagram-viewer/" target="_blank">thousands of Texans</a> are crowding their state capitol, protesting Governor Rick Perry special legislative session to consider a bill (now known as HB2) that would <a href="http://bit.ly/10hC7Vy" target="_blank">restrict abortion access and shut down all but five abortion clinics</a> in the state home to 26 million people.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But while Texas' proposed abortion restrictions are in the spotlight, they aren't an anomaly.</p>
<p>It's tempting for those of us on the coasts to write off the wildly restrictive laws proposed in Texas as a red state issue. But the sad truth is that <a href="http://www.remappingdebate.org/map-data-tool/dozens-new-state-limits-abortions-added-2012" target="_blank">laws chipping away at the right to safe legal abortion have passed in 49 states</a> since Roe v. Wade. Oregon is now the sole state whose rules around abortion have remained intact over the past 40 years.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5466/9187509388_f68d1c01ae.jpg" alt="Map showing only Oregon has not passed any abortion restrictions since roe v wade" width="500" height="415" /></p>
<p>Just this morning, <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/07/01-2#.UdHS-9EWjuY.twitter" target="_blank">Ohio's governor signed off on a budget</a>&nbsp;including new laws that require doctors to perform ultrasounds on any patient who wants an abortion, strip federal funding from Ohio's Planned Parenthoods, and allow the state to pull funding from rape crisis centers if they counsel survivors on abortion options.</p>
<p>Two days before, an <a href="http://www.aclu.org/reproductive-freedom/federal-judge-blocks-alabama-abortion-law" target="_blank">Alabama judge blocked enforcement of a state bill</a> that—like the Texas law—requires clinics providing abortions to make unnecessary, expensive renovations. The Republican-controlled legislature passed the bill this spring and its pricey requirements were expected to shutter three of the state's five abortion clinics.&nbsp; The judge found that the bill would have a "permanent destabilizing effect on the provision of abortions in this state, as clinics will have to constantly struggle under threat of closure."</p>
<p>These kinds of laws have <a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/updates/2012/statetrends42012.html" target="_blank">passed all over the country</a> in recent years.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/updates/2012/images/state-restrictions-650px_000.gif" alt="Graph showing the number of restrictions on abortions passed in states jumped in 2011, then dropped to a lower level in 2012" width="500" height="320" /></p>
<p>What IS new in Texas is that people seem to actually care. These laws have often slipped through legislatures without much discussion or protest. In Texas, they've been cause for widespread protest.</p>
<p>The spread of abortion restrictions over the past five years has been a smart political calculus: repealing abortion rights at a national level would require a high-profile political fight, especially when the majority of Americans support federal protection of the right to an abortion. Instead, right-to-life groups have been funding and campaigning for an erosion of access to abortions nationwide, backing bills that most Americans haven't noticed—until now.</p>
<p>Part of the issue is that these abortion restrictions don't affect all Americans equally. Since the bills often strip funding from clinics, they make abortions more expensive. Since they lead to the shut down of clinics, women seeking abortions often have to travel further to get them—according to <a href="http://www.guttmacher.org/datacenter/trend.jsp#" target="_blank">Guttmacher Institute data</a>, in 2008, 35 percent of American women age 15-44 lived in a county without an abortion clinic.</p>
<p>All of this adds up to laws that discriminate against low-income and rural women. Abortion is still legal—but it's swiftly becoming a medical procedure that's possible only for those who can afford it.&nbsp;</p>
<p>What the protests and resulting media coverage in Texas has done is shoot this erosion of rights into mainstream conversation. The Texas House and Senate may still pass the rights roll-back this but they'll be doing it will millions of people watching. Whether this is a sea change that will slow or reverse the spread of these laws remains to be seen.</p>
<p>But as State Senator Wendy Davis said during a noontime rally today at the Capitol, "We've witnessed how much we can accomplish when we demand accountability."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="/Tell-Rick-Perry-Texas-Abortion-SB5-Protest" target="_blank"><em>Email Rick Perry's office—tell him to stop wasting time and money restricting rights.&nbsp;</em></a></p>
<p><em>Map of abortion restrictions made by Bitch Media, using <a href="http://www.remappingdebate.org/map-data-tool/dozens-new-state-limits-abortions-added-2012" target="_blank">Remapping Debate data</a>.</em></p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/why-texas-abortion-restriction-laws-are-a-national-problem#commentsabortionabortion rightsTexasPoliticsMon, 01 Jul 2013 21:37:14 +0000Sarah Mirk23323 at http://bitchmagazine.orgSafe, Legal, and Hilarious: Five Actually Funny Jokes About Abortionhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/safe-legal-and-hilarious-four-actually-funny-jokes-and-one-short-film-about-abortion
<p>You might have missed it earlier this week because you were doing something more important with your time—like Jazzercising, or building a tiny city out of Triscuit crackers and cream cheese, or <a href="/post/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-texass-terrible-abortion-bill">watching some kind of filibuster</a>—but some conservative strategists have decided that, in order to court those darned Millennials who failed to elect Romeny in 2012, they are going to have to start talking to them on their terms.</p>
<p>You know, throw on some skinny jeans, get tattoo of tiny mustaches on their fingers, and perfect that ironic, detached style of humor that all you young folks love. Yes, I was lying about the first two items on that list, but am dead serious about the third: according to a <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/06/17/gop_plan_to_appeal_to_millennials_make_abortion_funny/">wonderfully reported piece in Salon</a>, some conservative groups have decided that the way in with the youth vote is to take hip humor and apply it to the regressive stances that make their party so unpopular in the youth demographic. Yes, folks —some GOP organizations have decided that the key to reaching younger voters is to try to make abortion funny. But don't take my word for it—take it away, Kristan Hawkins! Quoth the Salon article: "</p>
<blockquote><p>'You can engage with sarcasm, it's hard with the abortion issue, but you have to,' said Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins at a breakout panel at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference in Washington today on how to win millennial voters. 'Unfortunately we have to, because this is the generation that we've been dealt.'"</p></blockquote>
<p>Step back, right-wing strategists—we own this.</p>
<p>Abortion jokes—not the awful, shaming kind that you see on, oh let's just say for example <a href="http://jezebel.com/5335977/unaired-family-guy-abortion-episode-not-anti+choice-still-offensive" target="_blank">"Family Guy,"</a> but the awesome, funny ones that are used to point out the hypocrisy of American culture's take on the issue—have been a staple of liberal political comedy since abortion first became an issue of public discussion.</p>
<p>Joan Rivers told a veiled abortion joke about a friend who had had "14 <em>appendectomies</em>" on television in the early 70s. Rivers discussed the joke in a 2010 <a href="http://www.npr.org/2010/06/09/127556307/comedian-joan-rivers-is-a-real-piece-of-work">NPR interview</a>, saying;</p>
<blockquote><p>"I was the first one to discuss abortion, and it was very rough. ... And I couldn't even say the word abortion — I had to say, 'She had 14 appendectomies.' ... And by making jokes about it, you brought it into a position where you could look at it and deal with it. It was no longer something that you couldn't discuss and had to whisper about. When you whisper about something, it's too big and you can't get it under control and take control of it."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In that grand tradition, I bring you five actually funny jokes about abortion—plus an actually funny mini-movie that just might be the first-ever rom-com about abortion:</p>
<p>1.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.freeneurotica.com/">Free Neurotica</a> is the Austin, Texas-based sketch project of comedian Valerie Niece. In this skit, we find out what it would be like if every medical procedure was as fraught with unnecessary restrictions as an abortion. Here's a hint: "God has a plan for your gallbladder":</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/DqDl1zXxV34?list=UUU_LnniUSBIdRsSf4XCGs9g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>2.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.deannesmith.com/">Deanne Smith</a> is a brilliant stand-up comic who has appeared on <em>Last Comic Standing</em>, HBO Canada, Sky TV, and won awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a billion other places all over the US, Cananda, and Australia. Here she is on the confusing wording of anti-choice bumper stickers:</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wdFK_PEwg5I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>3. You know what <a href="http://www.theonion.com/">The Onion News Network</a> is. So let's take the time I would have spent explaining that, and use it to enjoy this video skit about a proposed law that would make women seeking abortions set up and paint a nursery first:</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Zrm7W3zGSoA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>4. You probably know Emmy-winning comedian <a href="http://www.wandasykes.com/">Wanda Sykes</a> from her work on "The Chris Rock Show" or "Curb Your Enthusiasm," her own show "The Wanda Sykes Show," her performance at the White House Correspondents Dinner, or her activism work for same-sex marriage in California. She is as multi-talented as she is hilarious (so she is <em>very</em> multi-talented). In this bit, she weighs in on who is entitled to know about your abortion (joke starts at 4:26):</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zBVGx7VS4b0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>5. This <a href="http://www.georgecarlin.com/">George Carlin</a>&nbsp;routine about anti-choice activists is the one that everyone puts on their Facebook wall to shut down a distant relative or friend of a friend of a high school friend who decides to preach some anti-choice rhetoric at you on what was just supposed to be an innocent post of brunch photos. But sometimes things are classic for a reason, people!:</p>
<p><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GTyeBQXk8V4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In 2009, comedian, actor, and writer <a href="https://twitter.com/jennyslate25">Jenny Slate</a> starred in "Obvious Child," a short rom-com, written by <a href="http://vimeo.com/grobespierre">Gillian Robespierre</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2210641/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Anna Bean</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3505289/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1">Karen Maine</a>, and directed by Robespierre, that features an honest, compassionate, and humorous look at abortion and dating. The brief film is the anti-<em>Juno</em>. And if you like what you see below, you're in luck—<em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2910274/">Obvious Child</a></em> the full-length feature film is in production, and should be released next year.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/6410278" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></p>
<p>Read the rest of this <a href="/blogs/women-arent-funny">blog series on feminism and comedy!</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>
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http://bitchmagazine.org/post/safe-legal-and-hilarious-four-actually-funny-jokes-and-one-short-film-about-abortion#commentsabortion rightsJenny SlateThe OnionWomen Aren't Funnywomen in comedyThu, 27 Jun 2013 21:04:19 +0000Gabrielle Moss23154 at http://bitchmagazine.orgDouchebag Decree: Special Healthcare Reform Editionhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/douchebag-decree-special-healthcare-reform-edition
<p><center><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3008635758_a8c6604670_m.jpg" /></center><br />
<center><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2685/4462306661_d4a0b714e9_o.jpg" alt="a photo of representative Randy Neugebauer" /><br />
Fetuses of America, meet your new spokesperson. </center></p>
<p>While I never thought I'd be declaring someone who doesn't like Bart Stupak anything but a friend, Randy Neugebauer's &quot;baby killer&quot; accusation this Monday on the House floor to Stupak earns him a raging douchebag award. </p>
<p>Stupak, who whose democratic vote was essential for securing the health care bill, agreed to remove his anti-abortion amendment when Obama took on the Hyde Amendment as an executive order. While this move keeps federal abortion access funds to poor women just as limited as before, it secured Stupak's vote for HCR, thereby not putting millions of American's health on the line for his own &quot;moral&quot; high-ground. </p>
<p>While Stupak revealed his change of plans, Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D3l99yrn20&amp;feature=related">shouted &quot;baby killer&quot;</a> down to the double-timing democrat below. </p>
<p>Stupak has asked for an apology, but Neugebauer doesn't seem especially remorseful. While <a href="http://www.theawl.com/2010/03/congressman-was-actually-shouting-baby-killer-at-bill-guy-supported-not-at-actual-guy">Neugebauer has since clarified</a> he was calling the <i>bill</i> a baby killer and not Stupak, it looks like he is capitalizing on his name-calling as evidenced by a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FriendsofRandy">new video</a>, obvo the start of his next campaign, where Neugebauer stands with his silent, shifty-eyed wife Dana and declares:</p>
<blockquote><p>&quot;You know what, I'm never going to quit speaking on behalf of the unborn. I'm never going to quit speaking on behalf of the people of Texas and the people of the United States that find this policy unacceptable.&quot; </p></blockquote>
<p>...Which is funny, because I'm thinking that insured Texan women (who now will have to write a separate check for abortion coverage, thanks to the Nelson [a douche in his own right] Amendment), poor and uninsured Texan women (who can't afford an abortion), recent immigrant residents of Texas (who now can't receive Medicaid until five years of residency--which btw, still does not cover abortion because of the Hyde Amendment and because Texas does not offer additional coverage), and the undocumented female immigrant population of Texas (who now cannot purchase health insurance) also find certain new HCR policies unacceptable. Maybe give those constituents of yours some of your attention, Neuge-bag. (Read more about how HCR affects Latino and immigrant populations at <a href="http://latinainstitute.org/news/NLIRH-commends-Congress-on-health-reform-efforts-cautions-that-the-work-is-not-done">National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health</a>).</p>
<p>And as other bloggers have said, it's hard to feel too bad for Stupak, who was willing to put the entire HCR bill on the line over how he felt women's bodies should be regulated. It's also hard to be upset when, as Jodi Jacobson at <a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2010/03/23/video-stupak-wants-apology-will-also-offer">RH Reality Check writes</a>, Stupak should</p>
<blockquote><p>...use this moment to insist that the pro-life movement make a blanket apology to pro-choice advocacy groups, pro-choice legislators, and to women, clinic workers, and doctors everywhere.</p>
<p>Because Stupak is one among many who have created the environment in which Neugebarger thought this was appropriate in the first place. He is now lying in the bed that he--and others in the &quot;pro-life&quot; movement--have made, so to speak.</p></blockquote>
<p>And of course there's the infuriating irony that greater access to health care and birth control is what decreases the rate of abortion, not further limitations on access, douches.</p>
<p>Unfortunately Neugebauer isn't alone in his hateful and childish reactions to the health care reform bill. His uncalled for hatred practically pales next to recent actions of the Tea Party, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34747.html">including but not limited to:</a>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Using &quot;n----r&quot; while chanting &quot;Kill the bill&quot; at Representative Joe Lewis, and spitting Representative Emanuel Cleaver, both black democratic representatives. Jim Clyburn, the House Majority Leader said "I heard people saying things today I have not heard since March 15, 1960, when I was marching to try to get off the back of the bus. It was shocking to me."</p></li>
<li>Referring to openly-gay Representative Barney Frank as a &quot;faggot&quot; and &quot;homo.&quot;
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/18/tea-party-protesters-bera_n_504183.html">Taunting</a> a pro-HCR protester with Parkinson's at a Columbus Ohio rally. Classy.
</li>
</ul>
</p><p>(Check out this Brave New Foundation <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cuentame?v=app_10531514314">video and petition</a> against Republican bigotry). </p>
<p>To wrap up the douchebaggery of the GOP, please read and share Bob Herbert's NYT op-ed, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/opinion/23herbert.html">&quot;An Absence of Class&quot;</a> if you haven't yet.
</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/douchebag-decree-special-healthcare-reform-edition#commentsabortion rightsHealth careObamaStupakwomen's healthScienceThu, 25 Mar 2010 22:32:06 +0000Kjerstin Johnson3013 at http://bitchmagazine.orgPro Football, Anti-Choicehttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/pro-football-anti-choice
<p><a href="http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/44">The Super Bowl</a>, with its male posturing, scantily-clad cheerleaders, and rampant corporate sponsorships, has never been exactly a feminist's dream come true. This year, however, there is one more reason to throw your remote at the screen and run for cover, and it comes in the form of Florida quarterback <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Tebow">Tim Tebow</a>. And his mother. And the <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100120/cbs-approves-super-bowl-ad-starring-tim-tebow/">Focus on the Family anti-choice commercial they'll be starring in</a> during the game.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://www.parcbench.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/tim-tebow.jpg" /></center><br />
<center><i>Tim Tebow, anti-choice advocate and apparent swamp resident.</i></center></p>
<p>A long-standing CBS policy against "issue ads" (both <a href="http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/01/20/after-peta-veto-super-bowl-accepts-family-advocacy-ad/">PETA and MoveOn.org</a> commercial spots have been rejected in the past) is being relaxed this year in order to air the 30-second spot. Though no script or video has been made available, <i>The Christian Post</i> states that it will, "present the former Florida quarterback's personal story and will also feature Tebow's mother, who refused to have an abortion while she was pregnant with him despite having suffered from a life-threatening infection." The theme of the spot will be "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life."</p>
<p>Let the head-desking commence. </p>
<p>Since we are (presumably) mostly pro-choice feminists here, I won't go into the problems with framing a woman's decision to risk her own life in order to give birth as "celebrating family," or the ways in which it glorifies a woman's ability to martyr herself for the benefit of others. Nor will I examine the decision on Focus on the Family's part to spend 2.8 million dollars on this 30-second commercial when they are struggling financially, because <i><a href="http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=12182">Ms.</a></i> has done an excellent job of that already. What stands out to me (in addition to those giant problems) are two things: That CBS is promoting an anti-choice agenda, and that the subtle messaging here is "don't have an abortion because your kid might become famous."</p>
<p>There is speculation that CBS is relaxing their "no issues" policy this year because <a href="http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=12182">the economy is in the toilet and major sponsors like GM and Pepsi have pulled their support</a>. While this may be true, it doesn't take a crackerjack detective to notice that CBS has rejected liberal-leaning issues-based ads (from PETA and MoveOn.org) on the grounds of said policy, yet they are willing to bend the rules for an ad with a conservative agenda. Looks like the Super Bowl is even more insidious than those beer ads would suggest (and CBS is guilty of assholery beyond just airing <i>Two and a Half Men</i>).</p>
<p>The other irksome thing here is that, without having seen the ad, I can only guess that its underlying message will be that if you choose to carry a fetus to term, even if it means you and the fetus may die, it's worth it because your kid could grow up to be a famous athlete. Even if Ms. Tebow never says anything to that effect during the commercial, the messaging is there simply because she is appearing in a Super Bowl ad with her famous, successful son talking about how glad she is that she didn't have an abortion.</p>
<p>This reminds me of that <a href="http://www.nickcannon.com/">Nick Cannon</a> song, "Can I Live?". Does anyone remember that? Here's the video in case you need a refresher:</p>
<p><center></center></p>
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4AqPRcF7ZC0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4AqPRcF7ZC0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><p></p>
<p>With lyrics like <i>Your friends will look at you funny but look at you mommy/ That's a life inside you look at your tummy/ What is becoming ma I am Oprah bound/ You can tell he's a star from the Ultrasound</i> Mr. Mariah Carey's message is pretty clear. Though Cannon claims to be "passing no judgment" it is obvious that he wants us to leave this video with the idea that an unplanned pregnancy could result in a guest appearance on <i>Oprah</i> if only the woman in question is willing to make the sacrifice.</p>
<p>Though Cannon's and Tebow's stories are different (as are the stories of all families) the messaging is similar: Make a potentially impossible sacrifice now and it might pay off later. Never mind if you are risking your health, your livelihood, or even your life, because 20 years from now you'll be glad you did. It's a woman's own, very personal choice whether or not she has an abortion, and the possibility of future fame and recognition just doesn't factor in. Women don't need to hear about it from Tim Tebow and his mom, or from Nick Cannon, or from Focus on the Family. And they certainly don't need to hear about it in a CBS-approved commercial during one of the most widely televised events of the year.</p>
<p>If you're so inclined, complaints about this ad may be addressed to CBS Audience Services: <a href="mailto:audsvcs@cbs.com">audsvcs@cbs.com</a>.</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/pro-football-anti-choice#commentsabortion rightsanti-choice fanaticismCBSFocus on the FamilyfootballNick CannonSuper Bowl Commercialsthe super bowlTim TebowTVThu, 21 Jan 2010 19:21:16 +0000Kelsey Wallace2755 at http://bitchmagazine.orgNotre Dame Hires Pro-Choice Catholic as New Football Coachhttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/notre-dame-hires-pro-choice-catholic-as-new-football-coach
<p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=keown/091208#" class="enlarge" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/1208/espn_g_ndts_300.jpg" alt="Notre Dame" height="200" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="300" align="left" border="0" /></a>Word came yesterday: The <a href="http://www.nd.edu/" rel="nofollow">University of Notre Dame</a> has hired Brian Kelly away from the <a href="http://www.uc.edu/" rel="nofollow">University of Cincinnati</a> to be its new football coach. Kelly, a pro-choice Catholic with extraordinary coaching skill and success, takes the job just six months after the a strong segment of the Notre Dame community protested President Obama's commencement address at the premiere Catholic university, citing Obama's pro-choice beliefs as its point of discontent.</p>
<p>Let's be clear ... most people connected to Notre Dame realize that a person's beliefs about abortion rights have nothing to do with their suitability to take a coaching job. But <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=keown/091208" rel="nofollow">as ESPN's Tim Keown describes</a>, a vocal segment of the community has nonetheless lit up the online message board debating whether Kelly's pro-choice belietfs should remove him from consideration for the job. As Keown writes, before Kelly's hiring was a done deal: </p>
<blockquote><p> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image"><img src="http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/kelly.jpg" alt="kelly.jpg" height="197" hspace="10" vspace="10" width="265" align="right" /></span>... I know: Message boards are not exactly MIT graduate seminars, but it is being discussed. ...</p>
<p> The only question is: Does a football coach want to put himself through that? How many jobs outside the Vatican, the Supreme Court and Planned Parenthood could a person's views on abortion be a consideration? </p>
<p>And how they know Kelly is pro-choice is unclear. He isn't known to include pro-choice literature in the Bearcats' pregame notes, though he did once volunteer for Gary Hart. </p>
<p>Most news articles are quick to mention Kelly's bona fides as &quot;an Irish-American Catholic,&quot; but that might not be enough. As a friend of mine -- Notre Dame grad, Irish-American Catholic himself -- says, &quot;I couldn't care less whether he's Irish and Catholic. I like him as a coach.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p> Going in, Kelly should be aware of one fact: No matter how irrelevant the abortion issue might be, and even if it isn't brought up in any official capacity, you can be sure some group is going to show up and protest outside his door the day he moves into the office. And more than a few of them are bound to have the crazy eyes going.</p>
<p> Look, Notre Dame's decision-makers have every right to hire any coach they want, and they have every right to set the criteria as they see fit. They could bypass Kelly for his diet, for all I care. But as a Catholic, I find the intrusion of the doctrine-obsessed into everyone else's life a tiresome bore.</p>
<p> And if Notre Dame decides to go that route to appease the one-noters -- again, there's no indication it will -- it shouldn't stop with abortion. Why don't the Irish ask Kelly his stance on capital punishment? How does he feel about compassion for the poor and underserved in our country? What are his opinions on the clergy abuse scandal?</p>
<p> What charities does he support?</p>
</blockquote>
<p> Neal Hayes at the<i> Chicago Sun-Times</i> <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hayes/1922451,CST-SPT-neil05.article" rel="nofollow">adds more detail</a> (again, in an article published before the Kelly hiring was final):
</p>
<blockquote><p> When you talk about a football coach being pro-choice, it usually means he reserves the right to punt or go for it on fourth down. In Notre Dame's case, it takes on a different meaning ...</p>
<p> Where precisely (Brian) Kelly stands on what should be a private issue is uncertain, and frankly nobody's business, but if true it could be a deal-breaker for many on the Catholic university's campus. ...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>A bit of context: Notre Dame has a golden football reputation, despite its decidedly mediocre record for the last twenty years so. Nontheless, it still ranks third in college football history (my alma mater, the <a href="http://www.umich.edu" rel="nofollow">University of Michigan</a> is, ahem, number one) with 837 wins and won national championships under coaches such as Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz. This year, Notre Dame finished with a 6-6 record. </p>
<p>Brian Kelly has built formidable teams at <a href="http://www.cmich.edu" rel="nofollow">Central Michigan University</a>, <a href="http://www.gvsu.edu/" rel="nofollow">Grand Valley University</a>, and the <a href="http://www.uc.edu/" rel="nofollow">University of Cincinnati</a>, which had an undefeated season this year is slated to play the University of Florida in the Sugar Bowl in a couple weeks</p>
<p>With the news of Kelly's hiring, most Notre Dame fans are busting with glee, while Notre Dame detractors (and they are numerous, passionate) are gnashing their teeth. As my friend and fellow Michigan Wolverines fan put it in an email, &quot;He will be an excellent coach. Goddamn it. I want him for Michigan, not Notre &quot;Fucking&quot; Dame. ... Congratulations, Notre Dame. The blind squirrel has found its nut.&quot; </p>
<p>No matter your vantage, Notre Dame made the right choice for this job. </p>
<p>But, as Keown noted, the vocal minority has very different ideas about, well, &quot;right choices.&quot; The comments I've seen as I've prowled the internets on Kelly coverage have revealed varying degress of sense: </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20091209/SPORTS13/912090340/1001/Sports" rel="nofollow"><b>Mitchell Holmes</b></a>: Please, bring us a good coach who is a committed Catholic. One who the student athletes can look up to and learn from - help them to become better men. And, one who will not be blasting obscenities on the sideline...obvious to everyone watching.</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20091209/SPORTS13/912090340/1001/Sports" rel="nofollow">Coach Rosie</a></b>: I think the misunderstanding here is not his stance on abortion, but rather his supposed future political aspirations. The thought of a sometime-in-the-future former ND football coach running for office as a pro-abortion candidate is something the university has a right to be concerned about.</li>
<li><a href="/You%20football%20fans%20that%20don%27t%20have%20any%20connection%20to%20ND%20other%20swiliing%20down%20your%20beer%20whelie%20saying%20go%20Irish%20just%20don%27t%20get%20it.%20One%20of%20the%20vision%20stements%20about%20ND%20that%20Jenkins%20professes%20is%20Catholic%20values.%20As%20the%20highest%20paid%20employee%20and%20in%20the%20spot%20light%20pesron%20I%20would%20think%20that%20we%20as%20alum%20are%20entitled%20to%20someone%20that%20lives%20these%20values%20daily.%20%20ND%20is%20bigger%20than%20football." rel="nofollow"><b>Bri</b></a>:You football fans that don't have any connection to ND other swiliing down your beer whelie saying go Irish just don't get it. One of the vision stements about ND that Jenkins professes is Catholic values. As the highest paid employee and in the spot light pesron I would think that we as alum are entitled to someone that lives these values daily. ND is bigger than football.</li>
<li><b><a href="/The%20University%20threw%20out%20its%20core%20values%20when%20it%20let%20President%20Obama%20speak%20at%20the%20University." rel="nofollow">Ohio Irish</a></b>: The University threw out its core values when it let President Obama speak at the University.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-30967-Cincinnati-Bearcats-Examiner~y2009m12d5-Irish-fans-in-uproar-over-Brian-Kellys-stance-on-abortion" rel="nofollow"><b>DS</b></a>: I was among the hundreds of ND students who staged a pro-life rally on campus during commencement (when President Obama was awarded the doctor of laws degree), and care as much about the Catholic identity of the university as anyone, but I don't see how this hiring decision compromises that identity more than hiring a pro-abortion janitor. Screening an administrator for Catholic orthodoxy makes sense at a Catholic school; screening a coach would border on discrimination. I haven't heard anything from my pro-life friends here to suggest that they are &quot;in an uproar&quot; or feel differently than I do. This is not the Obama-commencement scandal.</li>
<li><b><a href="/I%20disagree%20that%20Kelly%27s%20views%20should%20not%20be%20taken%20into%20account%20by%20Notre%20Dame%20when%20choosing%20a%20coach.%20Free%20speech%20gives%20Kelly%20the%20right%20to%20support%20Adolf%20Hitler,%20Karl%20Marx,%20the%20Ku%20Klux%20Klan,%20or%20Osama%20bin%20Laden.%20Would%20those%20views%20be%20considered%20irrelevant?%20It%20is%20the%20position%20of%20the%20Catholic%20Church%20and%20others%20that%20abortion%20is%20immoral.%20Would%20a%20convicted%20mugger%20or%20rapist%20be%20hired%20if%20he%20knew%20how%20to%20build%20a%20winning%20team?%20Not%20at%20ND%20-%20or%20nearly%20anywhere.%20And%20that%27s%20good.%20There;s%20too%20much%20hypocrisy%20on%20this%20issue.%20It%27s%20ok%20to%20screw%20people%20for%20a%20wisp%20of%20racism%20but%20not%20for%20supporting%20what%20many%20consider%20murderr." rel="nofollow">Peter Henderson</a></b>: I disagree that Kelly's views should not be taken into account by Notre Dame when choosing a coach. Free speech gives Kelly the right to support Adolf Hitler, Karl Marx, the Ku Klux Klan, or Osama bin Laden. Would those views be considered irrelevant? It is the position of the Catholic Church and others that abortion is immoral. Would a convicted mugger or rapist be hired if he knew how to build a winning team? Not at ND - or nearly anywhere. And that's good. There;s too much hypocrisy on this issue. It's ok to screw people for a wisp of racism but not for supporting what many consider murderr.</li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-30967-Cincinnati-Bearcats-Examiner~y2009m12d5-Irish-fans-in-uproar-over-Brian-Kellys-stance-on-abortion" rel="nofollow">irish fan</a></b>: whats pro choice have to do with football </li>
</ul>
<p>irish fan: So simple, so sensible.
</p><p><b>About the Images:</b></p>
<blockquote><p><cite>First image: </cite>Anti-abortion protestors weren't happy about President Obama's appearance at Notre Dame; <i><cite>Scott Olson/Getty Images</cite></i></p>
<p><i>Second image</i>: Brian Kelly; <i>ESPN</i></p>
</blockquote>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/notre-dame-hires-pro-choice-catholic-as-new-football-coach#commentsabortion rightsathleticscollegeeducationfootballnotre damepro-choicesportsSportsFri, 11 Dec 2009 17:53:15 +0000Anna Clark2629 at http://bitchmagazine.orgBeaker Bitch: Freak Outs, Not Facts, Dominate Abortion Talk in Healthcare Debatehttp://bitchmagazine.org/post/fingerpointing-not-facts-over-abortion-in-healthcare-debate
<p>The healthcare debate this week has certainly seen a lot of fingerpointing. In an effort to quash false rumors surrounding Obama's new healthcare plan (please let's never discuss the phrase "death panels" again), the White House went so far as to launch its own <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/" rel="nofollow">"reality check" website</a>. But one issue that's missing from the White House site is abortion. Despite the lack of an official White House debunk, the public dialogue on abortion has been just as packed with misinformation and exaggeration as the rest of the dialogue on healthcare reform. </p>
<p>Conservative websites are running with the National Right to Life group's headline that healthcare reform will be <a href="http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/9153411010.html" rel="nofollow">biggest expansion of abortion rights since Roe v. Wade</a>. "Condition Red!" flashes the <a href="http://www.nrlc.org/" rel="nofollow">National Right to Life</a> website. </p>
<p>That idea is aided by misleading statements from mainstream politicians. Representative John Boehner (R-Ohio) penned a <a href="http://healthcare.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NGI1YjEwOTNjYmMzODBiYjJkNjliOTljODk2ZTBjOGE" rel="nofollow">piece in the <i>National Review</i></a> spelling out his take on Obama's healthcare plan:<br />
<blockquote>"Fact: The bill as currently written will allow the federal government to classify abortion as an "essential benefit" — a health-care right that would be guaranteed to all Americans. This will make it illegal for health-care providers nationwide — even Catholic and religious-based hospitals with missions that reflect a fundamental moral objection to the killing of the unborn — to provide anything less than abortion on demand for anyone who seeks it."</blockquote></p>
<p>But when the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13048612areerbuilder.com/" rel="nofollow">Denver Post ran a health care fact check</a>, they showed that Boehner's "fact" is actually false. The Post explains that Obama's current health care plan does not override the federal law that bans Medicaid from paying for abortions except in cases involving rape, incest or when the mother's life is in danger. An amendment pushed by Lois Capps (D-CA) allows public and private healthcare plans to cover abortions in other cases, but they can't use federal dollars. </p>
<p>A healthcare expert on <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HealthCare/Story?id=8317197&amp;page=2" rel="nofollow">ABC's own healthcare fact check</a> said it was still "unclear" whether public healthcare plans under Obama's plan could pay for abortions, despite noting that none of the bills under consideration say abortions should or could be paid for with federal dollars.</p>
<p>Although Obama has a <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Barack_Obama_Abortion.htm" rel="nofollow">strong pro-choice voting record</a>, he's backed away from pushing for abortion coverage in his fragile healthcare reform plan. The Post quotes him explaining, "I'm pro-choice, but I think we also have the tradition in this town, historically, of not financing abortions as part of government-funded health care."</p>
<p>Personally, I find it disappointing that in the midst of the largest healthcare reform our nation has ever experienced, it looks like national abortion laws will remain where they were 30 years ago.</p>
http://bitchmagazine.org/post/fingerpointing-not-facts-over-abortion-in-healthcare-debate#commentsabortionabortion rightsdeath panelsHealth carehealthcare reformJohn Boehnernews mediaObamaobama healthcare planpro-choicepro-lifewomen's healthSocial CommentarySun, 16 Aug 2009 01:54:31 +0000Sarah Mirk2020 at http://bitchmagazine.org